A let-down Down Under

Monica Sharma

Australia’s Hindu community is worried after a temple was vandalised in Sydney during the Navratras (on October 14).

More than 30 idols at the Barathiye Mandir in Sydney’s Regents Park were destroyed. The temple was in ruins when devotees arrived for the Sunday evening prayers, said priest Paras Ram Maharaj.

He said a church was converted into the temple 20 years ago by the Fiji Hindu community. “We respect all religions and have also preserved Catholic symbols at the temple, which was attacked 10 years ago as well. I want strict action against the miscreants,” the priest said. Jeet Singh, a devotee, said there were no CCTV cameras installed on the temple premises. But the police must act fast to nab the culprits. It is about the sentiments of people.”

Calling for public awareness programmes on various religions, Paras Ram Maharaj said, “Australia is known to be a multicultural country and we must protect its identity.” 

The incident sparked condemnation and concern among the Hindu community in Australia, many of whom suspect it could be a hate crime. The president of the Hindu Council of Australia, Prakash Mehta, claimed that the idols were damaged deliberately and the miscreants did not touch the donation box, making it evident that it was not a robbery bid.

Minister for immigration, citizenship and multicultural affairs David Coleman has condemned the temple vandalisation. He said it was against the “essence of Australia”.  The New South Wales minister for multiculturalism, Ray Williams, has said, “We will not tolerate the destruction and desecration which threaten the cohesion of the multicultural communities.” Hindu Council of Australia vice-president Surinder Jain said the Australian government and people coming from various communities have condemned the incident. Many of them have offered aid to refurnish the temple.

Not the first case

This is not the first time that a temple in the country has been attacked. Eight years ago, firing took place at the Sri Mandir Temple, one of the oldest temples in Australia. In March 2011, shots were fired at the Australia’s first Hindu temple. In November, 2010, miscreants smashed windows of the same temple. In 2010, a gurdwara was torched in Melbourne.